Each year the ADAs recognize the best offerings in Mac and iPhone software. This year is the second year the ADAs will feature iPhone applications; last year’s winners included Omnifocus from The Omni Group and Enigmo from Pangea Software. The deadline to apply for this year’s Apple Design Awards is May 4, 2009.

As last year, 2009’s ADAs will feature two major categories: Best iPhone OS Applications and Best Mac OS X Applications. Entries are judged on platform innovation, technology integration and adoption, connectedness, localization, design and quality, and performance tuning and optimization.

For the iPhone, up to four winners will get awards, who have designed applications using iPhone SDK 2.2.1 — the apps must be released versions and available on the App Store. One winner will be selected who has designed an application using the iPhone OS 3.0 beta, and one student winner will also be chosen, who has designed an application using iPhone SDK 2.2.1.

Similarly, up to four Best Mac OS X Applications award winners will be chosen from applications designed to work with (and released for) Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard.” One winner will be selected who has designed an application for Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard,” and one student winner will also be chosen.